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8 Biggest Headaches of Modern Life

Does life sometimes feel like a merry-go-round you can't stop? There's no denying that our world is traveling faster than ever, and the ride can leave you with a splitting headache. “In modern life you don’t have a biorhythm,” says Niranjan Singh, MD, a neurologist at University of Missouri Health Care in Columbia, referring to the regular sleep and wake pattern of our ancestors. “You also don’t feel totally in control of your life.” The result? Everything from over-scheduling to high-tech gadgets — even though they’re fun to use — can contribute to headaches and migraines. Be aware of all the stimuli assaulting you so that you can dial down headache pain.

3D Screens

There’s nothing worse than having headache pain suck the fun out of a 3D movie experience. But for some sensitive viewers, taking in 3D hits on the big screen is exactly the kind of visual discomfort that leads to headache. Studies have shown that people find non-3D scenes the most comfortable to watch. Situations where an image has unusual blur, frequency, or contrast can cause headache pain. Additionally, people with eye disorders like strabismus (misaligned or crossed eyes) are more likely to have headache as a result.

Personal Screen Time

Screens, screens everywhere and hardly space to blink. One of the reasons that screen time — whether in front of an iPad or other tablet, a laptop, or a smartphone — is so bothersome is that you are blinking less often than the 18 times a minute your eyes prefer. For the headache- or migraine-prone, any unrelieved work close to your eyes is a headache trigger. “Avoid continuous use for more than 30 minutes,” advises Dr. Singh.

Economic Stress

The biggest headache in modern life is caused by the “hurry and worry” imbalance, says Singh, and these days you can hardly avoid the worry associated with the poor economy and increasing expenses. Adding to the pressure, migraine or headache pain causes many people to call in sick or be unproductive while at work — which can lead to fears of job loss. Stress management techniques can help ease tension and get you through these tough times.

Noise

According to a survey done by the National Headache Foundation, 40 percent of those responding said they had headaches triggered by loud noise. Though we don’t have data about how prevalent headache was in, say, the 17th century, there weren't jet engine roars and traffic back then, observes Robert Cowan, MD, a clinical professor of neurology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. “If you think about the pathophysiology of migraine, there’s a lot more stimulus now than in the past," he notes. While you may not be able to shut out all noise, keeping iPods and other digital media at a reasonable sound level can help turn down headache frequency.

Too Much Caffeine

Caffeine creates a vicious cycle. Many people stick with their caffeine habit because they fear the withdrawal symptoms, which include temporary but painful headaches. On top of that, the market is flooded with intensely caffeinated products marketed for their tempting high-energy benefits. This overdose of coffee coupled with high amounts of added sugars sets you up for a crashing headache later on.

Multitasking

If you’ve got too much on your to-do list and you’re trying to do everything at once or skipping sleep to get things done, you might as well add “headache” to the top of the list. Stress, lack of sleep, intense focus — these are all headache triggers. Your best bet is to slow down, prioritize that list to get the urgent items out of the way, and schedule some breaks between the remaining tasks.

Bright Lights and Glare

Living in a constantly well-lit world just contributes to out-of-control schedules, says Dr. Cowan, because it's possible to keep working and playing late into the night if we feel like it. And for people who are sensitive to their environments, all those lights and glare can become direct migraine or headache triggers. To prevent headache pain, use shades and lamps to create gently lit spaces rather than giving in to the spotlight effects.

Electronic Cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes are designed to look like cigarettes, but they're actually battery-operated devices that provide varying levels of nicotine by vaporizing nicotine and other contents of the cartridges loaded into them. These products have not been thoroughly studied, but a survey of users showed that headache is one of the most common unwanted side effects of e-cigarette use. Consider other stop-smoking aids if this one is giving you a headache.

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